Scientific literacy is one of the crucial skills nec-essary for making informed decisions and eval-uating evidence. Despite the fact that the overall results of Slovak students in scientific literacy are lower than the average for OECD countries, there is still a lack of interventions focusing explicitly on fostering scientific literacy in the educational system. Therefore, this literature review aims to determine: 1. types of interven-tions that can be used to foster scientific literacy; 2. the main features of interventions responsible for their effectiveness. Authors conducted a con-tent analysis of 40 empirical scientific papers, focusing on two aspects of scientific literacy: scientific reasoning ability and attitudes toward science. The study indicates that scientific rea-soning ability can be effectively improved with the interventions focused on 1. scientific argu-mentation; 2. understanding nature of science; 3. process of scientific discovery. Interventions focused on improving attitudes toward science share similar characteristics as interventions fo-cused on scientific reasoning and can be classi-fied similarly. Other aspects, such as the level of guidance, teaching strategy, gender, and domain of the intervention can also play an important role. and Vedecká gramotnosť je považovaná za jednu zo základných spôsobilostí potrebných pri hodno-tení informácií a robení informovaných rozhod-nutí. Hoci slovenskí študenti skórujú v testoch vedeckej gramotnosti dlhodobo pod priemerom krajín OECD, jej rozvoju sa venuje len veľmi malá pozornosť a v edukačnom systéme je prí-tomná prevažne implicitne. Cieľom tejto práce bolo preto poskytnúť prehľad intervencií, kto-ré sú zamerané na zlepšovanie vedeckej gra-motnosti v stredoškolskom prostredí a popísať hlavné charakteristiky, ktoré môžu podporovať účinnosť týchto intervencií. V prehľade sa au-tori konkrétne zamerali na dve zložky vedeckej gramotnosti, ktorými sú vedecké myslenie a po-stoje k vede, a pomocou obsahovej analýzy ana-lyzovali zistenia 40 empirických štúdií. Štúdia poukazuje na to, že vedecké myslenie je možné efektívne rozvíjať cielenými intervenciami za-meranými na schopnosť vedeckej argumentácie, pochopenie podstaty vedy a proces vedeckého objavovania. Intervencie zamerané na zlepšova-nie postojov k vede zdieľajú podobné charak-teristiky ako intervencie zamerané na vedecké myslenie. Dôležitú rolu v podpore účinnosti in-tervencií majú úroveň podpory žiaka, výučbová stratégia, pohlavie a doména intervencie.
The article deals with the current case law on compensation for non-pecuniary damage with a focus on medical law. The aim is to outline the recent judicial practice of the highest courts of the Czech Republic in this area, to evaluate it, and, where appropriate, to comment critically on it. The article is divided into two chapters. The first deals with decisions focusing on the manner and extent of compensation for non-pecuniary damage, and the second with procedural aspects when bringing such claims before the court. and Článek se zabývá aktuální soudní praxí odčiňování nemajetkové újmy se zaměřením na oblast zdravotnického práva. Cílem je nastínit recentní soudní praxi vrcholných soudů ČR k této problematice, zhodnotit ji a případně i kriticky komentovat. Z hlediska struktury je článek rozdělen na dvě kapitoly. První se zabývá rozhodnutími zaměřenými na způsob a rozsah náhrady nemajetkové újmy, druhá procesními aspekty souvisejícími s uplatňováním tohoto typu nároků.
Cytochrome P450s (P450s) involved in insecticide resistance reduce the efficacy of insecticide-based vector control by rendering vector control ineffective. They are recorded in many species of vectors and have various constitutive and insecticide induction profiles. In this study, the isolation and prediction of the structure of a P450 from a strain of Aedes aegypti originating from Malaysia is reported. Quantitative mRNA expression of this gene and a previously reported P450, CYP4H28v2, in the developmental stages of the mosquito after exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of insecticides is also reported. The isolated P450, CYP4H31v2, is an allelic variant of CYP4H31 and contains several conserved motifs of P450s. The secondary structure of the protein is mostly made up of alpha helices and random coils. The tertiary structure was generated using homology modeling and was of good quality based on structure validation using protein structure assessment tools. CYP4H28v2 and CYP4H31v2 were differentially expressed in the developmental stages of the vector, with a significantly increased expression in adult males. The genes were significantly over-expressed in larvae exposed to deltamethrin and permethrin for 6 h. In the DDT-treated larvae, only CYP4H31v2 was significantly over-expressed after a 6 h exposure. Under-expression of the genes was predominant in larvae treated with the organophosphates malathion and temephos. Though the functions of these P450s are unknown, their response to induction by exposure to insecticides indicates the likely involvement of these genes in insecticide tolerance. and Fatma M. A. El-Garj, Mustafa F.F. Wajidi, Silas W. Avicor.
Cardiac fibrotization is a well-known process characteristic of many cardiac pathological conditions. The key element is excessive activation of cardiac fibroblasts, their transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts, increased production, and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, resulting in cardiac stiffness. The exact cellular mechanisms and molecular components involved in the process are not fully elucidated, but the SOCE mechanism could play an important role. Its key molecules are the molecular sensor of calcium in ER/SR - STIM and the highly selective calcium channels Orai located in the plasma membrane. This study aims to evaluate selected SOCEassociated genes in the activation of HCF cell culture by several known substances (phenylephrine, isoprenaline) that represent cardiovascular overload. After cell cultivation, cell medium was collected to measure the soluble collagen content. From the harvested cells, qRT-PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of the corresponding genes. The activation of cells was based on changes in the relative expression of collagen genes as well as the collagen content in the medium of the cell culture. We detected an increase in the expression of the Orai2 isoform, a change in the Orai1/Orai3 ratio and also an increase in the expression of the STIM2 isoform. These results suggest an increased activation of the SOCE mechanism under stress conditions of fibroblasts, which supports the hypothesis of fibroblast activation in pathological processes by altering calcium homeostasis through the SOCE mechanism., Róbert Čendula, Nikola Chomaničová, Adriana Adamičková, Andrea Gažová, Ján Kyselovič, Marek Máťuš., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this review, we discuss the role of pulmonary surfactant in the host defense against respiratory pathogens, including novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In the lower respiratory system, the virus uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in conjunction with serine protease TMPRSS2, expressed by alveolar type II (ATII) cells as one of the SARS-CoV-2 target cells, to enter. ATII cells are the main source of surfactant. After their infection and the resulting damage, the consequences may be severe and may include injury to the alveolar-capillary barrier, lung edema, inflammation, ineffective gas exchange, impaired lung mechanics and reduced oxygenation, which resembles acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of other etiology. The aim of this review is to highlight the key role of ATII cells and reduced surfactant in the pathogenesis of the respiratory form of COVID-19 and to emphasize the rational basis for exogenous surfactant therapy in COVID-19 ARDS patients.
Alongside climate change, the introduction of non-native species (NNS) is widely recognized as one of the main threats to aquatic biodiversity and human wellbeing. Non-native species and biodiversity are generally low priority issues on the political agendas of many countries, particularly in European countries outside the European Union (EU). The objectives and tasks of this study were to address the policy regulation, education level, education practices, and socioeconomic perceptions of NNS in the Balkans. A questionnairebased survey was conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Turkey (Balkan EU candidate and potential candidate members), in Croatia and Greece (Balkan EU Member States) and Italy (non-Balkan EU Member State). The EU Alien Regulation (1143/2014) concerning NNS is implemented in EU Member States and Montenegro, whereas Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey have not reported specific policy regulations for NNS. Permanent monitoring programmes specifically designed for NNS have not yet been established in the EU Member States. Most countries tackle the issue of NNS through educational activities as part of specific projects. Education level is indicative of the implementation of NNS policy regulation, and efforts are needed for the proper development of relative study programmes. Public awareness and educational preparedness concerning NNS in the Balkans were identified as poor. Strong programmes for management and education should be developed to increase public awareness to prevent further biodiversity losses in the Balkan region.
Classical biological control is an important means of managing the increasing threat of invasive plants. It constitutes the introduction of natural enemies from the native range of the target plant into the invaded area. This method may be the only cost-effective solution to control the rapidly expanding common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in non-crop habitats in Europe. Therefore, candidate biocontrol agents urgently need to be assessed for their suitability for ragweed control in Europe. A previous literature review prioritized the host-specific leaf beetle Ophraella slobodkini as a candidate agent for ragweed control in Europe, whereas it rejected its oligophagous congener O. communa. Meanwhile, O. communa was accidentally introduced and became established south of the European Alps, and we show here that it is expanding its European range. We then present a short version of the traditional pre-release risk-benefit assessment for these two candidate agents to facilitate fast decision-making about further research efforts. We selected two complementary tests that can be conducted relatively rapidly and inform about essential risks and benefits. We conducted a comparative no-choice juvenile performance assay using leaves of ragweed and sunflower, the most important non-target plant, in Petri dishes in climatic conditions similar to that in the current European range of O. communa. This informs on the fundamental host range and potential for increasing abundance on these host plants. The results confirm that O. slobodkini does not survive on, and is hence unlikely to cause severe damage to sunflower, while O. communa can survive but develops more slowly on sunflower than on ragweed. In parallel, our species distribution models predict no suitable area for the establishment of O. slobodkini in Europe, while O. communa is likely to expand its current range to include a maximum of 18% of the European ragweed distribution. Based on this early assessment, the prioritization and further assessment of O. slobodkini seem unwarranted whereas the results urgently advocate further risk-benefit analysis of O. communa. Having revealed that most of the European area colonized by ragweed is unlikely to be suitable for these species of Ophraella we suggest the use of such relatively short and cheap preliminary assessment to prioritise other candidate agents or strains for these areas., Suzanne T. E. Lommen, Emilien F. Jolidon, Yan Sun, José I. Bustamante Eduardo, Heinz Müller-Schärer., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The presence of common mode error (CME) in the coordinate displacement time series of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) affects geophysical studies using GNSS observations. In order to investigate the effect of CME on the time series in GNSS networks in Shanxi, this paper proposes an improved superposition filtering method by introducing single-day solution accuracy, correlation coefficient, and spherical distance between stations as weights. The filtering effect is evaluated using the GNSS data in Shanxi. By using the improved stacking filtering method, the root mean square (RMS) values for N, E, U are reduced by approximately 27.8%, 29.0%, and 46.0%, respectively. And compared to the traditional stacking filter, our improved method can achieve better results with CME extraction. We investigate the CME spatial-temporal characteristics and its relationship with environmental loading. The results show that the CME between stations decreases as the distance between stations increases. In addition, we analyze the effect of CME on the noise component and velocity estimates. Results show that removing the CME refines the velocity and leads to a significant reduction in the magnitude of noise, indicating that the CME is dominated by the flicker noise in Shanxi Province.
This paper deals with the identification of BIFs and associated sulphide mineralisation. An integrated approach, including the use of Landsat ETM-plus and Cartosat DEM data, GIS analysis, and geological data, is adopted for this purpose in the Nagavi area of Gadag Schist Belt (GSB), India. This integrated approach has enabled in identifying BIFs and structures. Band-7 of the ETM-plus sensor of Landsat-7 is used to identify BIFs and Band-5 for lineaments and shear zones. As a result of this study, the presence of gold mineralisation in sheared zones is noticed. BIFs are the economically prominent litho-units in the GSB hosting high-grade iron ore deposits along with sulphide mineralised shear zones. The strata bound ore is hosted primarily by BIF, consisting of chlorite, alternating chert and magnetite, sulphides and carbonate bands of a millimetre to centimetre scale.